Ball-bearing.



0. SWIFT. BALL BEARING.

MAR. 27. 1911.

Patented May 30, 1911.

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WILLIS C. SWIFT, 0F HINSDALE, ILLINOIS.

BALL-BEARING.

Application filed October 8, 1909, Serial No. 521,768.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLIs C. SWIFT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hinsdale, in the county of Dupage, State of Illinois, havemade a certain new and useful Invention in Ball-Bearings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to ball bearings.

The objectof the invention is to provide a ball bearing which is simplein construction and efficient in operation, and wherein friction iseliminated to the greatest degree possible.

A further object is to provide a ball bearing construction wherein theballs are main tained separated or spaced apart without interposingbetween adjacent balls separators against which said balls respectivelycontact.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ball bearingconstruction in which each ball is engaged by an endwise sliding socketpiece, applied to the surface of the ball at a point where there isleast surface movement when the ball rotates, and which socket piece isyieldingly maintained against endwise sliding movement.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully her inafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing, and finallypointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and to the various views andreference signs appearing thereon, Figure 1 is a view partly in sideelevation, and partly in section, show ing a construction of ballbearing embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a detacheddetail broken view in top plan of a portion of the retaining ringsshowing a ball and its carrying end wise slidable socket pieces, andmeans for yieldingly restraining the cndn'ise sliding movements of thesocket pieces, all in assembled relation. Fig. 3 is a broken section onthe line 3, 3, Fig. 1., looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4;is a broken view in transverse section on the line at, 4, Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a broken view inperspective of the constructioii shown in Fig. 2.

The same part is designated by the same Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1911. Renewed March 27, 1911. Serial No. 617,233.

' reference sign Wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

In the operation of ball bearings, the balls theoretically run freely intheir raceway. There is a tendency, however, for the balls to relativelycreep along the raceway especially when they are under load, andeventually to contact with each other. Since the proximate surfaces ofadjacent balls revolve or move in opposite directions, a veryobjectionable friction is developed in case adjacent balls crowd orcreep toward each other suiiiciently to make contact with each other,thereby seriously impairing if not destroying the ei'liciency of theball hearing. To avoid this objection various expedients have beendevised for maintaining adjacent balls separated. In one form anintermediate or separating ball of smaller diameter is interposedbetween adjacent load-carrying or bearing balls. This expedient, whileserving to maintain the bearing balls out of contact with each other,encounters another serious difliculty, namely, being necessarily ofsmaller diameter than that of the bearing balls, they ordinarily engagethe bearing balls at points where an objectionable wedging action takesplace tionable additional-friction which materially decreases theelliciency of the bearing.

in my pending application, Serial No. 511,476, filed August 25, 1909, Ihave shown, described and claimed a construction and arrangement havingamong" its special purposes and objects the provision of an ellicicntmeans for obviating the above noted objections. The present inventionrelates more particularly to the type of structure set forth in my saidapplication, and has for one of its special objects and purposes, theprovision of a ball bearing structure in which there is no separatingcontact of the bearing balls with separators interposed transversely inthe raceway between adjacent balls. I

In accordance with my present invention, and as one concrete form ofembodiment thereof, I employ retaining rings on opposite sides of theraceway between the cup and cone in which the balls operate, and foreach ball I employ socket pieces mounted to slide endwise in the sideretaining rings, the bearing ball being retained between the pair ofsocket pieces, and, while the socket pieces are endwise slidable inorwith reference to the retaining rmgs, I propose to provide means foryieldingly opposing such sliding movement.

In the drawing reference signs A and B, designate respectively the partsbetween which the balls are to be interposed, and which may be called,for convenience, the cone and cup respectively, these parts beingprovided with grooves or seats I which, together, form the raceway inwhich the balls E operate. Intermediate the parts A, B, and on oppositesides of-the raceway formed therebetwcen, are the retaining rings orplates 1*, G. These rings or plates, in their preferred form, areprovided with inwardly extended edge flanges 10, forming channels. Inthese channels are mounted the socketpieces 11, one on each side of eachball, each socket piece having a bearing seat 12, intermediate its ends,to engage the ball, said bearing seats, if desired, conforming to thecurvature of the adjacent or contacting surface of the ball. Therelation of the parts, when assembled, is such that the bearing contactof the socket pieces 11, against the bearing ball is at the ball, thatis, about which the ball revolves within the raceway, and hence atpoints where there is the least amount of surface lllOYCll'lCllt of theball. 3y reason. of this relation. location and arrangement, I amenabled to eliminate friction to the greatest. possible degree. Anymovement of the ball in its tendency to cr ep or move along the racewaywhen under load is transmitted through the ball to the socket pieces 11.thereby imparting a tendency to said socket pieces to the hub, so tospeak, of

move endwise in their channels in the side rings. If these socket pieceswere held rigidly this creeping tendency of the balls un-' der loadwould result; in developing an objectionable friction. I therefore soarrange the parts that the socket pieces 11 are permitted to moveendwise in their channel seats in the rings or plates, but such endwisemovement of the socket pieces is yieldingly opposed. This yieldingopposition may be accomplished in many specifically ditferentways. Ihave shown one simple arrangement as an operative embodiment of myinvention wherein plates 13, are interposed at the ends of the axistransversely of the raceway between adjacent balls, said plates havingspring flanges 14, arranged to bear against the ends of the socketpieces. The plates 13, may be supported in any suitable orconvenientmanner. I have shown a simple arrangement wherein the endportions 15, of said plates extend through openings in the ring platesF, G, said ring plates thereby forming supports for said spring plates.

A ball bearing embodying the construction above set foi-th, is not onlyexceedingly simple, but friction is eliminated to the greatest possibleextent. The points of contact of the balls with the cone and cup beingpractically the only points of wearing fric tion. The points of contactof the bearing balls in the seats of the socket pieces 11, are at thehub, so to speak, of the balls, that is, at the points where there isthe least surface movement of the balls, and consequently where anydeveloped friction is at a mini mum. The tendency of the balls, whenunder load, to creep toward each other, is transmitted to the socketpieces 11. These pieces, however, are yieldingly held against anycreeping or endwise movement in the channels of the retaining rings, thespring flanges 1i, engaging the ends of the socket pieces accomplishingthis result, and consequently the balls are free to exert their creepingtendency when under load, but any resulting creeping is prevented frombeing carried to the point of actual contact of the balls with eachother.

Many variations and changes in the details of construction andarrangement might readily occur to persons skilled in the art, and stillfall within the spirit and scope of my invention, as defined in theclaims. But

Having now set forth the object and na ture of my invention, and aconstruction embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new anduseful, and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. In a ball bearing, an inner and an outer bearing ring having araceway formed therebetween, and bearing balls operating in saidraceway, of socket pieces applied to the balls at the ends of the axesabout which they revolve, and means for yieldingly restraining saidsocketpieces from endwise movement.

2. The combination with an inner and an outer bearing ring having araceway therebetwcen, and bearing balls worlv'iug in said raceway, ofsocket pieces applied on opposite sides of the balls. at the (lids ofthe a xes' about which the balls rev lve, and means for yieldinglyrestraining the said socket pieces from endwise movement.

3. The combination with an inner and an outer bearing ring havingaraceway there between, and bearing balls working in said raceway, ofendwise movable socket pieces applied to said balls on opposite sidesthereof at the ends of the axes about which they revolve, and yieldingmeans engaging the ends of said socket pleces.

4. The combination with an inner and an outer bearing ring having araceway therebetween, and bearing balls working in said raceway, ofretaining rings for said balls,

and socket pieces separted by said rings and engaging the balls fromopposite sides thereof, and means for yieldingly restraining said socketpieces from endwise movement.

5. The. combination with an inner and an outer bearing ring having araceway therebetween, and bearing balls working in said raceway, ofsocket pieces having seats formed therein for application to theopposite sides of the balls at the ends of the axes about which theyrevolve, said socket pieces being endwise movable, and means foryieldingly restraining the endwise movement of said Socket pieces.

6. The combination with an inner and an outer bearing ring having araceway theresocket pieces mounted tov slide endwise on said rings andengaging on opposite sides of said balls, and plates naving springflanges interposed between adjacent ends of said socket pieces.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses, on this 25th day of September A.

' WILLIS O. SWIFT.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE C. HUNIGKE, J. E. KILEIN.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, Djfi.

